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Committed to the environment and its customers, Markem-Imaje is working on a global waste collection service. Explanations.

Dedicated to supplying its customers the best possible service at every stage in the lifecycle of its printers and consumables, Markem-Imaje is introducing a waste management system. Solvents, filters, inks and other used packaging containing chemical products are covered by very specific environmental requirements. To help its customers meet the regulations in force in their own countries, the Group has joined forces with specialized partners to collect, sort and recycle this waste.

This policy, in place in France for a number of years (see box), is set to be rolled out more globally, with variations and processes adapted to the particular requirements of each country. The service is also available - subject to certain conditions - in Brazil, Belgium, Japan, Singapore, Portugal and Taiwan. The introduction of similar collection systems is currently being examined in other subsidiaries.

France: Setting the trend. Having been in place in France for a number of years, the waste and consumables collection system was overhauled in 2006. To ensure optimum management of collection and recycling operations, Markem-Imaje joined forces with one of the country’s major waste processing players, Chimirec. Customers having arranged a recovery contract contact the company directly to arrange a pick-up. Chimirec then handles the whole process, under the responsibility of Markem-Imaje.
In 2011, over 50 metric tons of waste were collected and treated in this way. Offered as an option to all customers as part of the Consomaje consumables contract, this service is systematically included in the new SMILE service program.

Our commitments

Markem-Imaje has committed to some ambitious environmental objectives for the end of 2013: cutting its energy and water consumption and its waste production by 20% compared to 2010. In 2012, a number of initiatives were implemented on industrial platforms, aimed primarily at making energy savings. The Shanghai extension project, for example, incorporates high-tech specifications in terms of insulation, heating and lighting. In Bourg-lès-Valence (France) and at the Keene site in the United States, technical adjustments and staff awareness raising campaigns have led to rationalized use of heating and air-conditioning. Work has also focused on the industrial process and compressed air production. The result: 2 GWh of energy saved, i.e. 600 metric tons of CO2 equivalent. Consequently, the Group’s energy spending has fallen by 23% compared to 2010*. All in all, a pretty encouraging interim result!

What's new

You tell us what material you want to print on and we will tell you which laser you need… The new generation of SmartLase CO2 coders can cover all food and beverage industry applications. “From 300 products per minute, irrespective of the container’s size or the material it is made of, we have a solution for you,” explains Stéphane Valette, Laser product manager. “To help us guide customers in their choice, we begin by asking them about the substrate: this is essential so that we can decide which coder will mark the most legibly.” The best options for paper and cardboard, for example, are the standard C150 and C350 models. The L versions are recommended for flexible packaging, while the S versions are more appropriate for PET bottles. “Then we analyze the performance required. Depending on the line speed and the complexity of the code, we recommend either a 10 W version, or a
30 W version capable of doing the job as well as a 50-60 W machine.” Enhanced by its patented innovative technology, the new range can mark up to 100,000 products per hour. This level of performance is 30% above the market standard. Versatile and modular, SmartLase coders offer an availability rate of up to 99.9%. What more could you ask for?

Innovation

Integrated into all the new-generation SmartLase coder models, this new patented SmartLase Code Technology (SCT) offers two major innovations. First advantage: increased marking capacity. For the beverage industry, for example, the production output is increased from 1,200 to 1,800 bottles/min. In the food-processing sector, the print capacity of each message is increased from 30 to 120 characters. As a result, traceability is improved (Datamatrix or QR codes) and it is easier to add promotional codes. Another benefit concerns contrast management. Three different contrast levels can be selected to adapt to the various substrates and obtain a perfect marking quality, irrespective of the speed. What’s the secret of SCT technology? The unique capacity of its algorithm to create curves in record time!